Nanotechnology and its Future Applications

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology, the term coined by Eric Drexler in the1980s, refers to the engineering of tiny devices and machines. This is a technology involving the potential ability to fabricate structures and devices with atomic precision by controlling the size of the matter at the scale of 1-10nm. It will provide the solution to a large number of problems faced by mankind today. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter (10-9), roughly the width of three or four atoms.

The Potential of Nanotechnology

The potential of nanotechnology is huge and can lead to tremendous miniaturization in wider areas like space systems, medial diagnostic equipments and drug delivery systems. It will enable us to fabricate very sensitive devices and machines, leading to the enhancement of human capabilities to work efficiently, at lowers cost, with more precision and in environmentally friendly ways. Nanotechnology will make it feasible for us to create such sophisticated devices and structures with more flexibility at nanoscale.

Areas in which nanotechnology has future applications and discoveries, which can lead to enormous economical and industrial development, is as follows:

• Macromolecular design and folding
• Self-assembly methods
• Catalysis (inorganic, enzyme and other)
• Dendrimers, fullerenes and other novel chemical structures
• Bioenergetics, nanobatteries and ultrasound-driven chemistry
• Semiconductor-organic/biological interfaces
• Miniaturization and massive parallelism of SFM
• Molecular modeling tool

Applications:

• Energy Storage, Production and Conversion:
  a) Novel hydrogen storage systems based on carbon nanotubes and other
  lightweight nanomaterials
  b) Photovoltaic cells and organic light-emitting devices based on quantum dots
  c) Carbon nanotubes in composite 0.lm coatings for solar cells
  d) Nanocatalysts for hydrogen generation
  e) Hybrid protein-polymer biomimetic membranes
• Agricultural Productivity Enrichment:
  a) Nanoporous zeolites for slow release and efficient dosage of water and
  fertilizers for plants and of nutrients and drugs for livestock
  b) Nanocapsules for herbicide delivery
  c) Nanosensors for soil quality and for plant health monitoring
  d) Nanomagnets for removal of soil contaminants
• Water Treatment and Remediation:
  a) Nanomembranes for water purification, desalination and detoxification
  b) Nanosensors for the detection of contaminants and pathogens
  c) Nanoporous zeolites, nanoporous polymers and attapulgite clays for water purification
  d) Magnetic nanoparticles for water treatment and remediation
  e) TiO 2 nanoparticles for the catalytic degradation of water pollutants
• Disease Diagnosis and Screening:
  a) Nanoliter systems (Lab-on-a-chip)
  b) Nanosensor arrays based on carbon nanotubes
  c) Quantum dots for disease diagnosis
  d) Magnetic nanoparticles as nanosensors
  e) Antibody-dendrimer conjugates for diagnosis of HIV-1 and cancer
  f) Nanowire and nanobelt nanosensors for disease diagnosis
  g) Nanoparticles as medical image enhancers
• Drug Delivery Systems:
  a)Nanocapsules, liposomes, dendrimers, buckyballs, nanobiomagnets
  and attapulgite clays for slow and sustained drug release systems
• Food Processing and Storage:
  a) Nanocomposites for plastic .lm coatings used in food packaging
  b) Antimicrobial nanoemulsions for applications used in decontamination of food equipment or packaging
  c) Nanotechnology-based antigen detecting biosensors for identification of pathogen contamination
• Air Pollution and Remediation:
  a) TiO 2 nanoparticle-based photocatalytic degradation of air pollutants in
  self-cleaning systems
  b) Nanocatalysts for more efficient, cheaper and better-controlled
  catalytic converters
  c) Nanosensors for detection of toxic materials and leaks
  d) Gas separation nanodevices
• Construction - nanomolecular structures to make asphalt and concrete more robust to counter water seepage:
  a) Heat-resistant nanomaterials to block ultraviolet and infrared radiation
  b) Nanomaterials for cheaper and durable housing, surfaces, coatings, glues, concrete and heat and light exclusion
  c) Self-cleaning surfaces (e.g. windows, mirrors, toilets) with bioactive coatings
• Health monitoring Nanotubes and nanoparticles for glucose, CO(2), and cholesterol sensors and for in-site monitoring of homeostasis:
• Vector and pest detection and control:
  a) Nanosensors for pest detection.
  b) Nanoparticles for new pesticides, insecticides and insect repellents